Wednesday, May 02, 2012

MOTORHOME RUN:)) BIKE RUN:))…..& THE GOVERNMENT PHONES US:((

PHEEBS & I TAKE THE MOTORHOME FOR A SPIN IN THE COUNTRY THIS MORNING

Heard a scuffling sound on our back porch this morning around 4 a.m. Turned on the porch light & opened the patio door. Hadn’t realized Pheebs was right behind me & she was through the door like a bullet & knocked a fleeing raccoon right off the top step. Luckily there was a pine tree only a dozen feet away & the Coon quickly scrambled up the tree leaving Pheebs to frantically scramble around below. The Raccoon was long gone out of the tree by the time I checked again around 7. Close call for all 3 of us because had Pheebs cornered the Coon at the other end of the porch there could very well have been injuries to all 3 of us by the time the ensuing fracas would have been over:((FIRST RUN WITH THE BIKE THIS YEARI was encouraged at first light to see a touch of sunlight filtering through the Pine trees. My Psyche was definitely requiring a sunny day & I was feeling a growing need to fire up the Motorcycle & head out for a spin, regardless of temperatures. Moving this heavy Motorcycle around in our soft pea stone covered driveway is always a Herculean event & oh how I wished I hadn’t put all that pea stone gravel down years ago. That was another Herculean event in itself as I spread all those tons of pea stone around with a wheelbarrow, shovel, & rake. Took me days & days & days…..

A STOP AT BAYFIELD’S SUNSET PARK OVERLOOKING LAKE HURONIt’s been nearly a month to the day we arrived home from the Southwest. That means the rig has been sitting stationary for the past 30 days. Time for some Motorhome exercise so Pheebs & I took it for a 10 mile spin around a couple big country blocks. Rode smooth as ever & everything appeared, sounded, & felt fine. For me, a Motorhome is always a pleasure to drive. It’s like floating down the road on a big smooth cloud with a huge panoramic view always coming at you through the large scenic windshield. And, sitting up high just seems to expand all those beautiful horizons too.

AWWW COME ON DAD LET’S JUST HEAD ER FER ARIZONY…..OH I WISH WE COULD PHEEBS, I WISHED WE COULDScary phone call around 9 this morning….why? The Government called!! If ever a Government agency phones, you know it’s not to wish you a nice day. And so it was with this call. And, they were looking for me!! I quickly ran out to the garden shed & hid under a garbage can. Actually, when the Passport Office called, Pheebs & I were out motoring around in the Motorhome. Kelly said I’d be back shortly so the caller said they would phone back at 11 but that call never came. Waited around all day wondering why Passport Canada had called but guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow now. Obviously something to do with my recent passport renewal application, but what:((

BAYFIELD BEACH & SAILBOATS AWAITING THEIR TIME IN THE WATER THIS SUMMER

It was mid afternoon before I got the bike on the road with our temps getting up around 68F. Cloudy, but the air felt warm. I generally don’t venture too far from home on my first bike run every Spring just in case there are any problems caused by the bike’s long winter hibernation. Nice once again to be out roaring down the road with the wind trying it’s best to rip my face off. Always kinda like that feeling because it has a habit of straightening out those sun frazzled Arizona winter wrinkles.

SOON THIS AREA ALONG THE BAYFIELD RIVER WILL BE COMPLETELY LINED WITH DOCKED BOATSReader Jim A. sent me an email recently with a website he thought I might find interesting. Glancing over the site I think there may be other readers out here who would also be interested in checking out this fellows ongoing unusual but interesting journey across the United States. Be sure to check out WAGONTEAMSTER. I think he has just begun the 4th leg of a somewhat bizarre (meaning bizarre in a good way) & fantastic trip heading westward. But, at the beginning of his journey, he had a tragic accident…………….

I PROMISE TO BE A GOOD GIRL DAD IF YOU TAKE ME TO ARIZONA AGAIN

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Q: Why don't ghosts like to go out in the rain? A: Because it dampens their spirits! Q: What's invisible and very frightened? A: A ghost with the sheet scared out of him. - Why don't witches like to ride their brooms when they're angry? They're afraid of flying off the handle. - Where do baby ghosts go during the day? Dayscare centers - What do you get when you cross Bambi with a ghost? Bamboo --------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Tourists see the world, travelers experience it. - Home is where your pet is:)) - The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL. stargeezerguy@gmail.com

21 comments:

Love your blog. First time leavinga comment. Just reading aboutthe encounter with the raccoon.We've just had a warning in ourVictoria paper from a vet.Raccoons here may be carriersof the roundworm which can befatal to dogs if raccoon feces areingested. Called Baylisascarisprocyonis commonly called raccoonroundworm. Keep that preciousPheebs safe....she is a gem.

Well,lucky you! It's just the passport office... or maybe customs and immigration. Small potatoes, right? We got back to the USA after being out of the country for a month... our CPA had left a phone message... something to do with the IRS and 2010 taxes. Long story... still not sure what's happening, but do know that I sent a check to the CPA for $2404 yesterday... plus overnight postal charges of $20... and started to make calls today to find out what the heck's going on. I'm trying to decide whether I want to air this fiasco on my blog.... so, dear Al, we might have cells next to each other... just hope we both have internet!

I may be criticized for saying this, but I followed the first trip of the WagonMaster. I remember thinking when he started that he was not only putting himself in danger, but he was putting his horses in danger. He had a choice; they didn't.

I haven't changed my mind. I understand what he wants to do, but I don't think he has a right to endanger other people's lives or the lives of his horses. His mission is not safe because it's very different than the people who originally crossed the country. Just my opinion.

He is fortunate to be alive and so are the truckers who (if I remember correctly) came over a hill and encountered a slow moving wagon.

I'm sure there are many people who will disagree with me; there were many when the 1st trip started and when the accident happened.

I forgot to comment about Pheebs...I remember how heartbroken you and Kelly were when the first pup didn't work out and went to other people. Then, along came the best dog...Pheebs. How we all love her. Glad she didn't catch the raccoon.

Had one try to get in my trailer once--was right on the step when I opened the door--my two labs were inside. He jumped back for a second when I opened the door and then tried to get in. Jack pushed past me and that raccoon also found a nearby tree--thank goodness. I shutter to think if it had gotten in the small trailer with two labs and me. It was at Hunting Island in SC where they roam in abundance and are NOT afraid of people, at all.

In 1957 I bought my first bike, a 1942 Harley 45. The first weekend i had it I went to the Cross country Motorcycle races in what is now the bottom of Lake Meridith National recreation area in the Texas panhandle. I stalled it out trying to cross a ditch and was pushing it out of the ditch when a crusty little old man on a race bike came roaring up and stopped and said" Son that is a motorcycle, that means it has a motor. Start that SOB and ride it out of that ditch" with that he roared away..... dont push it all ride it out of the pea gravel LOL Sold that bike in 1995 and sure do miss it but my riding days are over. Enjoy the wind my friend.

Pheebs sure makes a great co-pilot. I'm glad too that she didn't catch the raccoon. Of all the animals in the world, raccoons are one of my least favorites - can't help it - they are just too mean to dogs!

I'm going to pipe up and *agree* with Hobopals.I looked around the Wagonmaster's blog earlier on, (like way back) and just couldn't bring myself to follow along. From the beginning I just had a bad feeling about the whole arrangement, and then sure enough, later on I checked back by chance and there had been the *accident*. Like that was a surprise. I mean, I felt bad for the gentleman, but I felt worse for the poor horses.

Horses on the road at any time make me really, really nervous. Unless you're in Amish country (or the equivalent) and you KNOW you may come across a horse and buggy, (or a tractor for that matter), you don't really stand much of a chance if you pop over a hill and you're bearing down on someone plodding along at 3 miles an hour. Besides, in Amish country, they post signs to remind everyone to be on the lookout.Times have changed, and inter city roads these days are really meant for faster moving vehicular traffic. Otherwise why pave them, widen them and paint lines on them? We could save a heap of money by just having some cart roads between villages. Since really, THAT would be the place for a team of horses pulling a wagon.Flame on!

Sounds like the Pheebes is on her game..protecting her territory..glad she didn't corner it...she is such a cutie...I'd rather get a call from the passport folks than the income tax folks-hope its nothing major...

I went by your place yesterday on my way out to Jerry and Cayrl's...It looks quiet and lonely. I'll bet it misses you as much as you miss it...That Pheeb's,,,she reminds me of Megabyte2, sitting there looking at everything. Don't you wish they could talk? Both sweethearts...3 weeks from today we will be heading north...WOW!!!Boy it has been nice here the last few days,,,,,about 60* when we get up,,,clear as a bell and gets up to about 80-85.

I am curious as to why the Passport office would call you - couldn't be too bad or else they would have sent you a formal letter, wouldn't they?

I also agree with Hobopals. I read the journal of the first trip and was heartbroken when those beautiful horses were killed. I had gotten to know them and their personalities, in a way I grew to know the same about Checkers, Max, Motormouse and Pheebs. We get attached to the animals almost as much as to their owners. A trip across country can have its harrowing moments when you are driving a car, truck, or motorhome. Subjecting horses to such a grueling journey (for them) isn't my idea of a good thing.

Of course you just gotta know that Pheebs is the star of this blog...Hey, if you and Odd Essay get cells next to each other, I'll bake the cake with the knife in it..The cake will taste terrible, but the knife may come in handy...for peeling potatoes in KP.:-))))

AL'S CAMERA EQUIPMENT

A sometimes asked question readers have about my blog is what kind of a camera do I use. Well I have 5 of them and use all 5.

'UPDATE':: July 2017 Thanks to a very generous blog reader I have been able to update my Nikon camera equipment and supplement my camera gear with a couple additional fine Sony cameras as well.I now have a Nikon D7200 sporting a new Nikkor 18-300 3.5 zoom lens. Also have picked up a new Nikkor 1.8 primary 35mm lens. In addition I also now have a Sony RX100-3 camera as well as a Sony Exmore Cybershot. I have given my Canon Powershot point and shoot camera to a neighbor.

- In early 2017 I replaced my Nikon D-90 camera with a new D-3400 after the 'auto focus' feature on my aging D-90 quit working. The Nikon D-90 had been my work horse camera sporting a Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens. I used this camera for most of my landscapes and I now have it set up for night photography where 'auto focus' is not necessary.

-My older faithful and favorite Nikon D-40 finally packed it in during the summer of 2015 and I replaced it with a new Nikon D-3100 which now carries my Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4.5-6.6 lens. I use this camera & lens for most of my candid people photos, birds, animals, bugs & flower close-ups.

- Previous to my Nikon D-90, most of my photos were taken with my old faithful Nikon D-50 from 2006 to early 2011 whereupon the D-50 suffered a rather gruesome death when it fell off a table onto a cement porch in southeastern Arizona. The 70-300mm lens on the camera survived the fall but the D-50 did not. My Nikkor lenses are interchangable between the D-90 the D-3100 and the D-3400.

-My Canon Powershot SX210iS is a point & shoot camera which I carry in a case on my belt everywhere I go.-My older Canon Powershot A720iS is the camera that sits close to my recliner for most of those doggy living room photos.